5 Skills to Look for When Hiring a Programmer

In this era of technology, it is no surprise that many young graduates are choosing computer science as their profession. Even the 3rd world countries are jumping on the bandwagon because they know this profession is the field of the future. Forbes even lists this as the field with the “most employment rate”. However, some specific qualities can mean the difference between a great programmer and somebody who is not very good.

5 Things To Look For When You Are Hiring a Programmer

Here are 5 things to look for when you are hiring a programmer:

1. Shooting the troubles out

Problem-solving skill is the main technique to master in Programming. Solving particular problems effectively require candidates to identify, define and solve problems using logic, and lateral and creative thinking. Whenever programmers are tackled with a problem they use their logical skills to solve it and this does not stop there programmers need to find all the ways in which the problem will be solved and then use one of the quickest ways to do it. This requires huge commitment and problem-solving skills.

2. Using your brain

You are only as good as a programmer as your imagination. It might sound evident, but programming is an exercise in thinking. Programming is a whole new world where you have to design each and everything using your own technical and thinking skills. This is the reason that programmers with strong science and math backgrounds are always preferred. It makes them better at programming, but more significant, it usually indicates good logic skills. When interviewer discusses the job, they sometimes leave blanks to check whether the candidate is able to fill them in. Also, if your hiring process contains formal testing, that is a good way to test logic skills.

3. Creativity in demand

Steve Jobs did not build his Technical Empire because he was good in programming. What he had was his imagination and passion to build something innovative. When you are looking for a programmer you have to look how far he is willing to go to get the work done when big tech companies like google are hiring they often ask random off the topic question to test your creativity. Creativity is one of the programmer’s deadliest weapon which influences his career. Creative programmers can often find rather strange ways to tackle a problem which is very important in this field.

4. Going an extra mile

Many programming schools do not have the time and budget to provide training to their programmers. Unfortunately, it’s the current business reality. The effect is that most programmers self-teach their skill and expertise (with a helpful mentor) once their formal schooling is over. Programmers who are great at self-learning will be better at programming. No respected programmer will say that he has fully understood any particular programming language. There is always a learning phase in a programmer’s life. When you hire a coder, you have to see how far he is willing to learn and apply new skill rather than using his old and outdated approach. Interviewers often ask questions related to latest technologies to see how much the programmer is indulged in his field.

5. Communicating well

Good communication skills are often used by programmers to convey his views accurately. Programmers who experience difficulties understanding what others are trying to tell them or expressing their point of opinion won’t be effective in the long run. It does not matter how good of a programmer he is, if he can’t efficiently communicate with the client, he can never give the clients what they want and unhappy clients is bad for business. Long interview sessions are held by big companies to test the confidence of the programmer. You will need to hire a programmer who is confident while communicating as he is while programming. There should be a perfect balance between his communicating skills and programming skills. Programmers who boast too much and then under-perform are like cancer to this industry.

Choosing the right programmer could be challenging, but it’s always better to wait than paying the price of a wrong choice.

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